This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Articles of footwear usually include an upper, a midsole, and an outsole. The outsole is typically a unitary piece of relatively high-friction material that includes various projections, grooves, undercuts, and other features. Also, the outsole is most often permanently fixed to the midsole.
Although conventional outsoles for articles of footwear have been adequate for the intended purposes, they do suffer from certain disadvantages. For instance, outsoles are often permanently bonded to the midsole using primers, adhesives, and other chemicals that can be environmentally harmful.
Also the wearer has less ability to customize the article of footwear because of the fixed outsole. More specifically, the wearer might need the footwear to provide a certain degree of traction depending on the terrain, weather, or other condition. However, because the outsole is permanently fixed, the wearer would likely have to change the entire article of footwear to satisfy these needs.
Additionally, the footwear's aesthetics cannot be easily changed due to the permanently fixed outsole. For instance, the wearer may grow tired of the footwear over time and desire to change the color or pattern of the outsole. However, because of the fixed outsole, the wearer has less ability to make these changes.
In addition, the outsole can wear quickly in comparison to the other portions of the article of footwear. Specifically, localized areas of wear and/or holes can develop which can degrade the ability of the outsole to provide adequate traction. Thus, the usable life of the shoe can be limited by the durability of the outsole.
Moreover, components of footwear can be recycled for various uses. Outsoles, for instance, can be reduced and used to form resilient ground surfaces on playgrounds, running tracks and the like. However, because the outsoles are fixed to the midsole, recycling efforts can be energy intensive.
Furthermore, the marketability of the footwear can be limited by the fixed outsole. For instance, certain outsoles may only be useful to a relatively small number of customers, and because of the fixed outsole, the footwear may be less profitable.